Question about programming Trunked Frequencies

[cabindoor]

Hi guys. I have a Radio Shack Pro-2052 Dual Trunking Scanner. I am REALLY new to all of this and I have no idea on how to program the Trunked Frequencies (i.e..EDACS, Motorola, and such...). When I look up the Conventional Frequencies, I have an actual frequency to punch in. All I see is Talk Groups for the Trunked stuff. What do I need to program into my scanner to get the frequency? Do I just punch in the Talk Group? Can anyone help me out? I was wanting to get the Copperas Cove, TX/Coryell County, TX, and the Fort Hood, TX frequencies all programmed in my scanner. Thanks so much.

SSG Art Wallace
Copperas Cove, TX/Ft. Hood

 

[DickH]

Hi guys. I have a Radio Shack Pro-2052 Dual Trunking Scanner. I am REALLY new to all of this and I have no idea on how to program the Trunked Frequencies (i.e..EDACS, Motorola, and such...). When I look up the Conventional Frequencies, I have an actual frequency to punch in. All I see is Talk Groups for the Trunked stuff. What do I need to program into my scanner to get the frequency? Do I just punch in the Talk Group? Can anyone help me out? I was wanting to get the Copperas Cove, TX/Coryell County, TX, and the Fort Hood, TX frequencies all programmed in my scanner. Thanks so much.

SSG Art Wallace
Copperas Cove, TX/Ft. Hood

All the freqs. are in the database.
Ft. Hood is digital. Your scanner can not monitor digital systems.
Copperas Cove may be EDACS Provoice. No scanner can copy that. If it's Analog, you're OK.
Coryell County is a very old Motorola Type I system, but the fleet map info is there in the database.

 

[cabindoor]

All the freqs. are in the database.
Ft. Hood is digital. Your scanner can not monitor digital systems.
Copperas Cove may be EDACS Provoice. No scanner can copy that. If it's Analog, you're OK.
Coryell County is a very old Motorola Type I system, but the fleet map info is there in the database.

Now that we got that figured out a bit, how do I get to programming the EDACS stuff? Even if I had a "fleet map", I'd have no idea on what I need to punch into my scanner. It says for Copperas Cove that the system type is EDACS Standard and System Voice is ProVoice and Analog. So, I guess I would have to do some "trial and error" on this. I have the chart with DEC and AFS on it but don't know what to do with that. LOL. I guess I'll have to take it one step at a time.

Art

 

[N8IAA]

Now that we got that figured out a bit, how do I get to programming the EDACS stuff? Even if I had a "fleet map", I'd have no idea on what I need to punch into my scanner. It says for Copperas Cove that the system type is EDACS Standard and System Voice is ProVoice and Analog. So, I guess I would have to do some "trial and error" on this. I have the chart with DEC and AFS on it but don't know what to do with that. LOL. I guess I'll have to take it one step at a time.

Art

No Fleet Maps for EDACS. If it is ProVoice, you may, or, may not get the analog TGID's. They will have an 'A' not a 'D' listed. EDACS systems start in XX1 of the bank that you wish to program them. Never had a 2052, so you'll have to refer to your owners manual for that info.
Larry

 

[cabindoor]

Okay...here's how scanner dumb I am. None of what you just stated made any sense to me. I'm used to the old scanners where I could plug in a frequency and start listening. Now, all I see is "talk groups" and "Decimals". What do I plug in??? Do I just plug in these talk groups and listen??? Is there a frequency that I'm supposed to plug in? If so, I don't see any on the database. Just talk groups.

 

[gmclam]

Copperas Cove

I assume you're looking at this link: Scanner Frequencies: Copperas Cove Trunking System, Cooperas Cove, Texas

Note at the top there is a list of frequencies: 01 866.20000 02 867.43750 03 868.47500 04 868.73750 05 868.03750

Note that each frequency has a smaller 2 digit number before it. You must program the frequencies in the same bank, in the positions indicated. For example, 866.200 would be programmed into channel x01 (001 if in bank 0). Program all 5 frequencies and set the mode of each to EDACS. The bank must also be set to EDACS.

Check the manual for your scanner, you will have a separate place that you enter the desired talkgroup IDs (TG IDs). I'm pretty sure you can also just leave the bank open to monitor ALL TG IDs on that system. Actually, this is what I'd do to get things started.

There is more info about your scanner here: Pro-2052 - The RadioReference Wiki

Manual: http://marksscanners.com/2052/2052.shtml#Manually_Storing_Talk_Group_IDs

From the manual: You have to program the trunking frequencies first to be able to program the IDs. Your scanner has 5 scan lists for each bank where you can store IDs. Each list can contain up to 10 IDs, for a total of 50 IDs for each bank. If you use all the banks as trunking banks, you can store up to 1000 IDs. If you are programming EDACS IDs in AFS format, you can also program a whole fleet or whole agency as one ID and/or lock out that ID as you would a single ID.
Talk group ID lists help you to organize talk group IDs into categories. For example, you might use List 1 for police IDs, List 2 for fire department IDs, List 3 for emergency medical service IDs, and so on. Once you store all the IDs in the lists, you can trunkscan them (almost) the same way the scanner scans conventional channels.

 

[cabindoor]

That's a great start for me! Thanks so much.

 

[cabindoor]

Actually, I quit playing with this thing. I have a Radio Shack PRO-2052 for sale if anyone's interested. Thanks.

 

[gmclam]

Actually, I quit playing with this thing. I have a Radio Shack PRO-2052 for sale if anyone's interested. Thanks.

Here's a link to the For Sale Forum where you can post it: Radio Equipment For Sale - The RadioReference.com Forums

 

[DickH]

Actually, I quit playing with this thing. I have a Radio Shack PRO-2052 for sale if anyone's interested. Thanks.

Fifteen minutes is not much time to learn about a scanner. It takes many hours just to learn the basics.
I guess you're not really interested in scanning.

 

[cabindoor]

Well, I've been at it for more than 15 minutes. I've had this scanner for a little over 2 years. The conventional side of scanning I've got down. Not too bad. When you involve the "other" side of scanning is where I get majorly confused. The manual is even quite a bit confusing. Non-Interest? Sure. Sounds good.

 

[DickH]

... All I have is talkgroups and like 5 frequencies. I ask for some help and I find out that I need help deciphering the help I received. Non-interest? Call it what you want. Thanks.
***************
It sounds as if you do not understand trunking, This explanation may help.

Motorola Trunking:
The object of trunking is to allow many users to share a relatively few frequencies.
A trunking system is controlled by a computer. Information (data) is exchanged between the system radios and the computer on a control channel, sometimes called a data channel. It sounds like a strong buzz.
A large system can have up to 28 freqs., 4 of which may be used as control channels. The control channel may be changed once a day or as often as the programmer decides. Some scanners need only the control channels to track an entire system. Just put in the 4 Control Channels.

Each group of users (Fire, Police, etc.) is assigned TALK GROUPS. In a Motorola Type II system, the most common type, TGs are usually in 32 number steps starting with 16 and going up to 65536; 16, 48, 80 --- 4656, 4688, 4720 --- 28944, 28976, etc. System radios can have more than 100 TGs programmed into them.

After all the freqs. have been entered and it is "trunking", the Banks become SCAN LISTS where you enter the Talk Groups you want to hear.
Use the Talk Group numbers in the DEC column, not in the HEX column.

When a user pushes the talk button on his radio, data is sent to the computer. The computer chooses an unused freq. and sends that data to all the radios using the TG of the originating unit. This all happens in a fraction of a second and it happens EVERY TIME a radio is used.

EXAMPLE:
Fire Dispatch calling Engine 4 (TG 4528 on 856.7125)
Engine 4 answering Dispatch (TG 4528 on 852.2625)
Respond to 73 Elm Street (TG 4528 on 855.9625)
Engine 4 responding (TG 4528 on 851.6375)

If you have entered TG 4528 into your scanner, it will decode the control channel data and change your scanner freqs. to follow the conversation on TG 4528.

This should get you started, but you should read the manual carefully. You may need to read it several times.

EDACS and LTR systems use the same principles, but they can not do Control Channel Only trunking, the TG numbering is different and the frequencies must be entered into specified channels in the scanner.

 

[fmon]

Well, I've been at it for more than 15 minutes. I've had this scanner for a little over 2 years. The conventional side of scanning I've got down. Not too bad. When you involve the "other" side of scanning is where I get majorly confused. The manual is even quite a bit confusing. Non-Interest? Sure. Sounds good.

Under my signature is a link for Programming Shortcuts in the Wiki. Both models of the 2052 are listed, however programming is identical for either model.

Follow the Trunk programming steps.

 

[fmon]

Looking at the Copperas Cove list provided by gmclam, the 5 frequencies need to be in channels 1 through 5 in your selected bank. These frequencies will soon be rebanded mandated by FCC. Each will reduce in value by15MHz. When this occurs, simply replace the same order with new frequency values 15MHz below those listed.

 

[cabindoor]

So, I have Bell County's and Copperas Cove's Trunked Frequencies plugged in my scanner. I'm receiving Bell County's transmissions, but not Coryell County's. Could it possibly be because Bell County is EDACS Standard Analog? Copperas Cove shows that they are using EDACS Standard (ProVoice and Analog). Could that be the reason why I'm not receiving Copperas Cove's Transmissions?

Also, now that Bell County's Trunked Frequencies are plugged in...should I be seeing ID's on the display instead of the frequencies? Can someone school me on how to get the ID's to show? thanks.

art

 

[DickH]

... Also, now that Bell County's Trunked Frequencies are plugged in...should I be seeing ID's on the display instead of the frequencies? Can someone school me on how to get the ID's to show? thanks.
art

If you're seeing freqs., it's not trunking. Make sure the freqs. are in the correct channels (small number in front of each freq. in the database).
After entering the last freq., press SRCH. Then it will read the control channel and display all active Talk Groups (IDs).
To hear only the TGs you want to hear, you have to program them into Scan Lists - ID Lists? -whatever they are called in your manual.
Then when you press SCAN you will hear only those TGs. You can toggle between SRCH and SCAN.

 

[cabindoor]

I plugged them in Bank 1 Channel 1 and so on according to how its listed in the database. Is that the right way to do it? If so, it's still not working out properly.

 

[cabindoor]

Disregard my last post. I think I have it all set now. Thanks so much for the help. You gentlemen are truly the experts of this stuff. Gonna just take this stuff one piece at a time. Maybe I'll retain it this time! LOL. Thanks.

Art

 

[DickH]

... Gonna just take this stuff one piece at a time.

Yup, that's the answer. This stuff's not easy, but if you take it one step at a time, you'll get it.

 

[cabindoor]

Can someone take a look at the Copperas Cove, TX Trunked frequencies and tell me why these freqs aren't working? Is it because they're operating on EDACS Provoice and Analog? My PRO-2032 isn't able to scan these freqs right? Just wanted to make sure. I got them programmed in correctly, but I'm not getting any action on those. Just the Bell County Trunked freqs. Thanks so much.

Art